What book are you reading atm??

Arcsurvivor

Eona: The Last Dragoneye and A Thousand Beginnings and Endings.

Finished Billion Dollar Whale recently, the one about the 1MDB scandal in Malaysia. Pretty good. Fascinating account of things.

Now on One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson. Nice and relaxing read. I enjoy his style.

gutenberg

Deleted User wrote: »

Now on One Summer: America 1927 by Bill Bryson. Nice and relaxing read. I enjoy his style.

Bill Bryson's books have regularly made me snort with laughter in public. Dangerous to read on trains, planes etc!

I'm reading Mitch Landrieu's In the Shadow of Statues. He was the mayor of New Orleans, and this is part autobiography, part discussion of race and history in America. The statues of the title are four Confederate monuments removed by him during his mayoral tenure, and the backlash he received is incredible.
It's a bit preachy in places. Landrieu is being touted as a possible presidential candidate in the future, so the book is probably part of setting out his stall. Still, an interesting discussion of the politics of the past in the South of the US.

mikhail

gutenberg wrote: »

Bill Bryson's books have regularly made me snort with laughter in public. Dangerous to read on trains, planes etc!

He just released a new one. It's called The Body: A Guide for Occupants.

appledrop

'The boy who followed his father into Auschwitz' by Jeremy Drobfield. Just started it but can't put it down.

CalamariFritti

Working myself through the Honorverse by David Weber, currently on book 12 :eek:

Really liking it despite some bad moments. Weber always seems to come up with something new and interesting whenever things start to get a little boring or it becomes too much of this and that. There we a few moments when I thought I have enough now, but then it took a new turn or he turned the annoying stuff off.

If you like Space Opera with a military element, this is a well thought out universe with good protagonists. Not the best ever Space Opera but its pretty good.

Say Your Number

Just read The Hurlers by Paul Rouse and Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig.

Really enjoyed both, The Hurlers has a lot of info on the formation of the GAA, the first All-Ireland Hurling championship was an absolute mess, Michael Cusack comes across as a bollox but the last 120 years of Irish sport would have been different without him.

Haig's book is about his battle with anxiety and depression, very simply written but a lot of truth and helpful to anyone feeling down, I was feeling a bit crap when I read it and it made me feel a bit better, have Notes on a Nervous Planet, looking forward to reading that when I've a chance.

Ipso

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones. Very interesting, too many people to keep track of.

AndrewJRenko

Quicksand by Malin Persson Giolito, translated from Swedish

Intense, claustrophobic drama looking at the aftermath of a school shooting from the point of view of the girlfriend of the main shooter - very tense right up to the final chapter - set against the backdrop of immigration into Sweden.

Danger781

Currently Reading

Bolloxology by Colm O'Regan - Not sure what to make of it so far. Started out fairly entertaining with commentary on the nuances of the Irish variation of the English language, but after that it felt like he was just having a rant about whatever ****e popped into his head and just spewed it onto a page. Losing interest about halfway through but will persevere for now.



Finished Reading


Elevation by Stephen King - First King novel. Thought it was OK but the ending felt predictable from the get-go (In my opinion) and it felt rushed towards the end. I really enjoyed the paranormal element to the story though.





I picked up a few free short stories for free on Amazon so I've been rattling through them as well:




The End of the Trail by Louis Rakovich - Author did an excellent job of fleshing out the book's universe and and actually put thought into character building, despite the short length of the book. It was so compelling that I couldn't put my kindle down.. then the book ended out of freakin' nowhere and I was devastated. Still free!



Mulligan's Map by D.M. Mitchell - Felt no connection to the protagonist, and we learned nothing about his backstory. I actually felt like I learned more about one of the other characters who featured for maybe the first half of the book, than I did the main character. Story was decent otherwise but not recommendable..



Beneath by Perrin Briar - Zombie-esque style thriller but not your average contagion style story. This all takes place in the depths of a mine. Complete page turner! Pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Still free!

Nigel Fairservice

I'm reading Night Trains by Andrew Martin at the moment. The book compares and contrasts the golden age of overnight rail travel with their modern equivalents. I find it a bit heavy on the history side and a bit light on the travelogue side of things but enjoyable for the most part.

Graces7

4Ad wrote: »

Just finished Christmas present book
David Baldacci's Long Road
To Mercy..
It was long and mercifully its finished.
Total and utter rubbish..

odd as I enjoyed baldacci a lot.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Andrea Wulf's The Brother Gardeners; the story of plant collecting in the 18th century, that led to what are today our quintessential gardens. Very readable and ideal for those with an interest in history, botany or gardening.

Foweva Awone

Graces7 wrote: »

odd as I enjoyed baldacci a lot.

Why is that odd? Different tastes perhaps?

Foweva Awone

I've started Big Brother by Lionel Shriver, I just love her writing style.

batgoat

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule, it's Ted Bundy season so seems appropriate.

Thargor

Danger781 wrote: »

Currently Reading

Bolloxology by Colm O'Regan - Not sure what to make of it so far. Started out fairly entertaining with commentary on the nuances of the Irish variation of the English language, but after that it felt like he was just having a rant about whatever ****e popped into his head and just spewed it onto a page. Losing interest about halfway through but will persevere for now.



Finished Reading


Elevation by Stephen King - First King novel. Thought it was OK but the ending felt predictable from the get-go (In my opinion) and it felt rushed towards the end. I really enjoyed the paranormal element to the story though.





I picked up a few free short stories for free on Amazon so I've been rattling through them as well:




The End of the Trail by Louis Rakovich - Author did an excellent job of fleshing out the book's universe and and actually put thought into character building, despite the short length of the book. It was so compelling that I couldn't put my kindle down.. then the book ended out of freakin' nowhere and I was devastated. Still free!



Mulligan's Map by D.M. Mitchell - Felt no connection to the protagonist, and we learned nothing about his backstory. I actually felt like I learned more about one of the other characters who featured for maybe the first half of the book, than I did the main character. Story was decent otherwise but not recommendable..



Beneath by Perrin Briar - Zombie-esque style thriller but not your average contagion style story. This all takes place in the depths of a mine. Complete page turner! Pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this one. Still free!

Your first Stephen King? Dont give up on him anyway, his classics are must-reads, he really lost the magic this century though, give The Shining, The Stand, The Dark Tower and all those a go, nobody regrets reading those.

Danger781

Thargor wrote: »

Your first Stephen King? Dont give up on him anyway, his classics are must-reads, he really lost the magic this century though, give The Shining, The Stand, The Dark Tower and all those a go, nobody regrets reading those.

Oh I intend to.. Elevation just appealed to me as it was relatively short and I was trying to renew my reading habit. Every time I've got "back into" reading I noticed I take on lengthy challenging books like the Wheel of Time, or recently Graham Hancock's stuff, and I tend to lose interest after a period of time and stop reading altogether.. It was a never ending cycle.



However picking these shorter books and seeing my list of "Completed" books starting to stack up on Good Reads is really renewing my vigor for reading again. It almost feels like a sense of accomplishment to finish a book, even if it is a fairly short story. I think I was missing that 'reward' system of sorts.

batgoat

Danger781 wrote: »

Oh I intend to.. Elevation just appealed to me as it was relatively short and I was trying to renew my reading habit. Every time I've got "back into" reading I noticed I take on lengthy challenging books like the Wheel of Time, or recently Graham Hancock's stuff, and I tend to lose interest after a period of time and stop reading altogether.. It was a never ending cycle.


However picking these shorter books and seeing my list of "Completed" books starting to stack up on Good Reads is really renewing my vigor for reading again. It almost feels like a sense of accomplishment to finish a book, even if it is a fairly short story. I think I was missing that 'reward' system of sorts.

Could try some Richard Matheson, not too long. Also Different seasons is a collection of Stephen King novelas so could dip in and out.

Barna77

Ipso wrote: »

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones. Very interesting, too many people to keep track of.

Got it at the library. I'm ready to take over nearly 700 pages

MillField

Roysh Here, Roysh Now… The Teenage Dirtbag Years - Ross O'Carroll-Kelly.

Haven't read that one in a long time. It's gas

quickbeam

batgoat wrote: »

Could try some Richard Matheson, not too long. Also Different seasons is a collection of Stephen King novelas so could dip in and out.

Richard Matheson is a great recommendation. Could I also suggest John Wyndham? The Day of the Triffids to start with but any of them really.

Just started Shogun by James Clavell. Loving it so far, though only about 70 pages in.

Dial Hard

quickbeam wrote: »

Richard Matheson is a great recommendation. Could I also suggest John Wyndham? The Day of the Triffids to start with but any of them really.

Oh god, I think Matheson is a terrible writer. It's possible that his work just isn't aging particularly well but I find his protagonists supremely annoying. He's given to rampant overuse of exclamation marks too.

Anyway, I'm currently reading Milkman (2018 Booker winner). Can't say I'm glued to it. The stream-of-consciousness narrative voice is quite trying after a while and the heroine's utter lack of agency is really beginning to grate. Unless it improves markedly I can see myself abandoning it.

After that I have a biography of Grace O'Malley and Martina Fitzgerald's Madam Politician to read.

martingriff

Reading/listening to the Count of Monte Cristo. Reader is very good and I am enjoying the book. The Three Musketeers books are next

Aglomerado

Last night I finished Shtum by Jem Lester.

Loved it, amazing portrayal of a severely autistic boy and his flawed parents.

Made me cry AND laugh!

Looking forward to more by this author.

orourkeda1977

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

the beer revolu

Begotten Not Made
By Conal Creedon

Tis only brilliant

Birneybau

Dial Hard wrote: »

Oh god, I think Matheson is a terrible writer. It's possible that his work just isn't aging particularly well but I find his protagonists supremely annoying. He's given to rampant overuse of exclamation marks too.

Anyway, I'm currently reading Milkman (2018 Booker winner). Can't say I'm glued to it. The stream-of-consciousness narrative voice is quite trying after a while and the heroine's utter lack of agency is really beginning to grate. Unless it improves markedly I can see myself abandoning it.

After that I have a biography of Grace O'Malley and Martina Fitzgerald's Madam Politician to read.

Read a collection of his short stories and they almost seemed parodic.

Folkstonian

The Dark Room by Jonathan Moore.

Really impressed with it. It’s a very, very good crime thriller. A decades old murder investigation initiated by the confessions of a dying man, intertwined with a contemporary political scandal involving the local mayor, with some really bleak themes and dark plot twists.

The main characters are written very well and the plot rattles along at a really nice pace.

Would very much recommend it for holiday, train, or bedtime reading.

Definitely an author I will be looking out for again in future.